


On Your Mark

by Carrot_Bunny



Category: Free!
Genre: Future AU, M/M, Sousuke returns to competitive swimming, doujinshi translation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-27
Updated: 2015-04-27
Packaged: 2018-03-26 00:52:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 640
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3831067
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Carrot_Bunny/pseuds/Carrot_Bunny
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Rin, for me today will definitely been an unforgettable day.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	On Your Mark

**Author's Note:**

> My last project before I take a break from translating to focus on my end-of-term finals - and to make it special I did the translations in story format for the first time! You can find the Chinese scans [here](http://imgur.com/a/vNJ6G), and my other doujinshi translations are on my Tumblr @carrot-s-cross-station (I tag them with 'carrot translates'). See you after exams then!

His sandals slap against the tiles of the bathroom floor as he opens the door and walks out into the hallway. On the back of his sports jacket, large dark letters proclaim “JAPAN” against a white background.  The sound of his footsteps echoes down the hallway, only to be caught up with by another pair of feet.

“Sousuke!”

He glances back to see a face framed by red hair. “Yo.”

They walk a few more steps before he speaks again. “Hey Rin, we haven’t made a bet in a long time, right?” he says as he pauses in his footsteps.

His friend catches up with him, a shark-toothed grin spreading across his face. “Loser buys the winner a Coke…” they start to say in unison, before breaking off into laughter.

The redhead adjusts the goggles on his forehead. “Since we finally made it to the international stage and all, why don’t we bet on something bigger?” His eyes gleam excitedly. “I’ve grown bored with drinking Coke.”

His taller companion snorts. “Okay, so how do you plan to reward me when you’ve lost?”

“Oi, the winner’s supposed to be me.”

As the intercom buzzes and a voice announces “ _Would the participating competitors gather please_ ”, the dark-haired swimmer grabs the other by the shoulder and leans in. “Then… how about you reward me with this?”

…

“ _It’s the first round of the men’s 200m butterfly stroke preliminaries,_ ” comes the TV announcer’s voice. “ _Japan has sent out Matsuoka Rin as a representative, and Yamazaki Sousuke will be appearing as well. The two are also in the same group in tomorrow’s 200m freestyle preliminaries._

_Yamazaki has been having a tough time this season because of a previous shoulder injury, but he’s fully adjusted his form for this competition. On the other hand, Matsuoka… Ah! He already looks like he can’t wait to swim._ ”

“ _Yes, Matsuoka seems to be in good form. How will Yamazaki’s participation in this competition affect him?_ ”

“ _Matsuoka’s expression seems more relaxed than usual – I’m sure we can expect Yamazaki to have a positive influence on him. Yamazaki holds a special significance for Matsuoka, and he’s mentioned Yamazaki’s name frequently when being interviewed. When Yamazaki gave up competitive swimming because of injury, it was Matsuoka who convinced him to return to the arena.”_

_“The two are best friends who grew up together.”_

_“Yes, they were in the same swim club when in primary school, and seem to get along well in school as well. In this international competition, the two will not only be challenging previous records, they’ll also be creating a special memory.”_

At the starting line, Sousuke stares out at the sparkling waters of the pool. “Rin, for me today will definitely been an unforgettable day.”

“Ah… me too – I’ve always been waiting for this day to come!” Rin pulls on the strap of his goggles and lets it snap against his head. “I’m going to win!”

“We’ll see about that!”

“ _This is Yamazaki’s first international swim meet – apparently he once gave up competitive swimming when in high school due to a shoulder injury, but he’s chosen to continue swimming since and has succeeded in setting himself apart from the rest of Japan’s highly skilled swimmers and making it to the international stage. Despite still carrying an injury he seems to be stronger than ever, pursuing his dreams with determination – truly the return of a hero.”_

_“So what performance will Yamazaki show us on this continent of Australia?”_

Back on the starting block, Sousuke crouches forward as the loudspeaker sounds.

_“Take your marks…”_

…

Several minutes later, the live broadcast focuses on two panting swimmers at the finish line as the headline blares across the top right corner of the screen: _Matsuoka Rin vs Yamazaki Sousuke: a battle for the gold between the Japanese._

_…_

**_You are tied with this bond forever._ **


End file.
